[Different concentrations of clarithromycin ophthalmic gel for rabbits corneal ulcers induced by Staphylococcus aureus].

PURPOSE: To screen proper concentration of clarithromycin ophthalmic gel by observing the efficacy of different concentrations of clarithromycin ophthalmic gel for treating staphylococcal corneal ulcers.

METHODS

Corneal ulcer was induced in the right eye of 40 rabbits, 3.0 x 10(9) CFU/ml staphylococcus aureus suspension was injected midstromally into the central corneal. These rabbits were divided randomly into 5 groups, each group received respectively topical blank matrix, clarithromycin ophthalmic gel 0.1%, clarithromycin ophthalmic gel 0.25%, levofloxacin ophthalmic gel, clarithromycin ophthalmic gel 0.25% and recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (Rb-bFGF), 4 times every day, 2 drops each time. The eyes were examined respectively with the slit lamp before treatment (day 0), on day 3, day 5, day 7, day 10, day 14 to observe the progression of corneal ulceration, including the area of the corneal ulcer and mark of keratitis.

RESULTS

Under the same way of giving medicine, experimental corneal ulcer studies showed a statistically significant decrease in all treatment groups on measurements of the area of the corneal ulcer and mark of keratitis (P < 0.05), and clarithromycin ophthalmic gel 0.25% had a better action than clarithromycin ophthalmic gel 0.1% against staphylococcus aureus corneal ulcer.

CONCLUSION

Clarithromycin ophthalmic gel 0.25% was proved to be an effective ocular medication for the therapy of gram-positive bacterial corneal ulcer.